Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19182 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Aiptek
• Model: AHD200
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, 1.76 pounds
• Hard Disk: 32GB
• Display size: 2.4

Manufacturer's Description
The PocketDV AHD 200 records in High Definition (HD) 720p (1280 x 720 pixel), has a frame rate of 30 frames per second and boasts a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor. The high definition recording is in 16:9 format, whilst CIF and D1 is recorded and played back in 4:3 format. SD and SDHC (High Capacity) cards up to 32 GB are compatible and will allow up to 16 hours of HD recording. It records in a format called AVC (Advanced Video Codec) / H.264, whereby 30 minutes of recording uses 1 Gigabyte of memory. Recharging presents no problems via USB or the power adapter. The supplied remote control, the swivel-mounted 2.4-inch TFT LCD display, as well as night mode for recording in dim light are also great features so you can experience a compact, lightweight and straight forward HD Camcorder and Still image camera.

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

excellent
I am very pleased with this camera its so simple to use and the video comes out great as does the pictures. Easy to hold and small enough to fit in the pocket.It starts up quick and being able to fit 60min of hd video on a 2gb sd card is fantastic.Converting the MOV format in Windows Vista is no problem with the software provided. The only drawback i had is taking photos in bad lighting using the flash, the flash takes time to reload, but all in all its a very good camera

Great value for money, unusual and beautiful image quality
The camera is very very simple, the optics are not sophisticated (two positions, close up and normal) and there is no anti-shake facility, but for some reason I really like this camera and I love the movies it makes. For a start it's such good value for money. The battery never seems to run out at the wrong time. Unlike the much more expensive Sanyo, it uses standard USB cables, so no paranoia about losing that 'special' cable. The colours are wonderful - strangely saturated and almost filmic in quality. The menu system is completely intuitive. The camera is lightweight and easy to use. And if you use a Mac then transferring movies to your computer and editing them are incredibly straightforward. But the best thing about the Aiptek is the quality of the images - different and somehow more 'arty' than more expensive cameras

Worth the money
I bought this as a 'boy's toy' for myself and it doesn't disappoint.

It's cheap enough and sturdy enough to be stuck in pocket. It good for parties, kids, sports, concerts - in fact 95% of what domestic camcorders are used for. I have easy access to 3 chip 'prosumer' camcorders, but hardly ever use them- this I've hardly put down.

If you want to make 'real movies' cheaply then you can get a bargain MiniDV for the same price with much better optics and sound- but downloading is fiddly,time consuming and memory intensive so many camcorders get left in the box. DV Tapes are fiddly and DV drives break very easily. If you've got lots of money then a Hard Disk HD model will get better results as well as being handy.

This model can be slipped in a pocket and be used to 'grab' everyday events with an OK picture quality. If you use the HD setting you'll be better off with a tripod-if you have one then it gives a nice high-res panoramic record of landscape and interiors (good for holidays).

Picture transfer is easiest if you've got a Mac (I have) as it records in MOV. I've yet to find out how long the battery lasts (I've seen 20 mins and 120 mins quoted- i bet it's closer to 20) A 4 Gig SDHC card will capture 4 hours of 720 x 480 (PAL DVD) video or 2 hours of HD.

This would be a good unobtrusive 'second camera' if you were filming live events. The biggest weakness is probably sound- which is mono and captured from a mike on the top of the camera - picking up the cameraman's unintentional noises!

There is no auto focus or manual zoom- but the optics are rather pleasing- capturing hues very well and giving a rather Chris Doyle/Wong Kar Wai cinematic look.